Lucky you! It might very well be an excellent bottle of port! However, it has not much value (probably less than GBP 10 after expenses). Most people believe that LBV cannot age well but I know for a fact that they sometimes can. Even though LBV's are made to be perfectly drinkable at release, there is a fair chance that this bottle is still good or perhaps even very good. Less than 2 weeks ago I did try Taylor's LBV 1972 which was an excellent port with a character of an old vintage port.

It's a filtered LBV. So as DRT mentioned, it won't get better and is well past its best. That doesn't mean it isn't drinkable. As Port is pretty hardy even more basic ones can age....that doesn't mean it will get better though, but should remain drinkable.

I'd suggest opening it with others who may enjoy Port as a science project and hope for the best.

Taylor's was the first shipper to "commercialise" this style when they launched the 1965 LBV with the intention that it was ready to drink and did not require decanting. The TN's from this bottle that I opened at an LBV tasting reveal some of the qualities I would expect to see in the 1974 and also that the 1965 was filtered.

My only experience of older LBV is Taylor's 1994 last year. Drank well. Will hold a couple of years. Best wine match I've had with chocolate pudding. I'm inclined to agree that 1974 is a little old. Little value, open it and find out!

Unless badly stored, the 1974 Taylor will be sweet and mature but perfectly enjoyable. Since it has very little value I'm another one who would recommend opening it and enjoying it with friends - or find a friend born on 1974 and open it with them. There's always something a bit special about drinking a wine that is as old as you are.

True, but my experience of filtered Taylor ports from that decade suggests that the degree of filtration they deployed at the time was relatively modest. I'd say there's a better than evens chance that enough body was left in this wine to make it show well, even after four decades.

But the trade won't appreciate that, and it's market value is consequently low; so with New Year's Eve just a couple of days away, I'd say drink it - and enjoy!

I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill

The problem is that heavy filtration is favoured by some wine makers more than others, and that preference seems to transcend the need to maintain house styles.

From some of the major producers, a 10yr tawny from one decade can be perfectly mellow and aged, whilst one from the decade following can be dead in the water, just because the winemaker changed - or had an epiphany..

I would love to see the labelling of tawnies include some reference to filtration degree, but doubt it will ever happen..

I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill

The problem is that heavy filtration is favoured by some wine makers more than others, and that preference seems to transcend the need to maintain house styles.

From some of the major producers, a 10yr tawny from one decade can be perfectly mellow and aged, whilst one from the decade following can be dead in the water, just because the winemaker changed - or had an epiphany..

I would love to see the labelling of tawnies include some reference to filtration degree, but doubt it will ever happen..

Like when you open and decant a 20 year (in bottle) tawny and there is zero sediment. You know it is heavily fined and/or filtered.

Are aged tawnies and Colheitas filtered? I have always thought that the sediment was removed naturally by the ageing process in wood. I can understand that young tawny would need filtering though but did not expect a 20 yo to be filtered.